“I pledge allegiance to the Flag of the United States of America, and to the Republic for which it stands, one Nation under God, indivisible, with liberty and justice for all.”

These are the very first words that I utter on the floor of the Virginia House of Delegates at the beginning of each legislative day.

As the first Asian-born immigrant elected to Virginia’s state legislature since it began meeting in 1619, these words have tremendous personal meaning to me.

When I place my right hand over my heart and recite the Pledge of Allegiance, the words penned in 1892 by Francis Bellamy remind me of that day in December 1991 when I became an American citizen by choice.

Like millions of other immigrant families, my family came to this country with not much more than the change in our pockets. Born in Guangzhou, China, I was four years old when we moved to the United States. I grew up in southwest Houston, where I now have the honor of serving as a member of the Texas House of Representatives.

While my family’s specific story may differ, our experiences echo those of other immigrants. Our fathers suffered long and brutal days working for little money in jobs that didn’t respect their intelligence or education. Our mothers scrimped and sacrificed to make ends meet, and to give us the best education possible. Our parents endured the physical hardships, endured the insults of people strange to them, and continued demeaning jobs because they believed in something better. Something better for us.

Queen Of Katwe is the true story of a young girl from the streets of Uganda who defies the odds to become an international chess champion and prodigy. Starring Lupita Nyong’o, David Oyelowo, newcomer Madina Nalwanga and directed by Mira Nair. Interview with Tendo Nagenda on Frank Talk with Pamela Anchang

The U.S. Constitution: it’s a legalistic document that takes about a half-hour to read. Yet it changed the course of history, by encoding the basic principles and values that have managed to sustain our nation as a beacon burning bright for the world for more than two centuries.

Which is why U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) takes special pride in naturalizing new citizens – good people drawn by that beacon — during Constitution Week. These ceremonies are an appreciation of the historic connection to the roughly 4,500 words that these brand-new Americans just swore an oath to support and defend.

Acting on a 2014 mandate issued by President Barack Obama, U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services announced Aug. 26 a new proposal that would allow foreign entrepreneurs to be considered for a two-year stay in the U.S. to start or scale up a business.

The proposal, known as the Immigrant Entrepreneur rule and informally dubbed a “startup visa,” though it is actually not a visa, is aimed at entrepreneurs from abroad who own at least 15 percent of a startup – founded within the past three years before the entrepreneur applies for the provisions of the rule – that has demonstrated potential for rapid business growth and job creation. Applicants to the program must have a central role in founding the company or its operations, and must have received at least $345,000 from U.S. investors or at least $100,000 from qualified government agencies.

Protesters in Phoenix, Arizona rallied before Trump spoke on immigration on August 31. Nancy Wiechec/Reuters Donald Trump recently laid out a hardline immigration plan and promised to achieve it in “a matter of months” after taking office. In reality, immigration reform has been halting and stymied, with no major reforms passed in decades. Multiple bills…

Los Angeles-The Taste, Los Angeles Times annual celebration of Southern California’s vibrant, influential culinary scene, returned to the Paramount Pictures Studios backlot for another segment, Labor Day weekend, September 2-4, 2016. The Taste reflects The Times’ distinctive, award-winning coverage of all things edible, each of the five events showcased the chefs and restaurants at the heart of L.A.’s food and dining culture and included unlimited tastings from the city’s best eateries as well as specialty drinks, wine seminars and cooking demonstrations.

After a detailed selection process, the winners of the 2016 Arab American Book Awards have been selected and for the first time two books will receive the Evelyn Shakir Non-Fiction Award.

The two winning titles – Mona M. Amer and Germine H. Awad’s Handbook of Arab American Psychology and Moustafa Bayoumi’s This Muslim American Life: Dispatches from the War on Terror – are a direct reflection of the depth of the category that includes a wide range of submissions, from academic texts to memoirs and cookbooks.

NEW YORK, N.Y.–As a family caregiver for my mother, who has dementia, I recently participated in six monthly meetings of a Chinese support group in New York.

Although the participants did not know each other before, they found light among hopelessness in each other’s stories, and I felt the group’s tremendous power in these meetings. The members hared the strength of love through human sufferings. Some said they faced similar challenges with family members facing the end of their lives.

The Chinese-community support groups began eight years ago, after and English-speaking Chinese man attended a seminar by the Alzheimer’s Association’s New York Chapter. Feeling the program was very helpful, he suggested the association organize similar seminars and support groups for Chinese-only speakers there.